


The Messenger

by orphan_account



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn, an imagining of breath of the wild, definitely not canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 23:11:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9350399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: She had a mission; Deliver the Hero to Princess Zelda. And that was all that it was supposed to be.//an imagining of breath of the wild





	

**Author's Note:**

> you can pretend that the main character is you lol. i wanted more link x someone that isn't zelda so this au was born. i don't hate Zelda though i do love me some zelink haha

Wake up.

Wake up, Link.

Link....

Blue eyes blink open, the blur of a wall becoming clear as day.

We have a mission.

//

Pitt town couldn't even technically be called a town. It was tiny and had the population of around 100, counting the dogs and the cats and the cuccos. The tiny town was situated between a forest and a river, making it the perfect "pit" stop for travelers and would be heroes, hence the name, but after the war, they refused to help outsiders.

Esme envied the town a little bit. It looked untouched by war, peaceful and quiet. Kids grew up unknowing of the horrors of the outside world, sheltered by the unknown walls, the unmapped village. For a moment, Esme allowed herself to breath the air and thought about settling here, becoming a farmer, tending to cows, and marrying a village boy. 

She laughed so hard she cried. 

There was nothing like that in store for her here. And besides, she had a mission.

Pulling her up hood and tying her long, black hair into braids and tucking them into her robes, she looked significantly more intimidating than usual. Esme straightened, fists clenching.

Don't get her wrong! She wasn't going to kill anybody. Her job required her to move place to place, without being remembered, without a trace.

Esme was a Messenger.

In a world post-Ganondorf, where creatures ruled supreme and mortals who couldn't even bear arms suffered, people needed to send messages to loved ones far away, send packages, and have jobs done without risking their lives. Esme risked her life everyday for a couple of rupees and a long list of favors that people feared the day she'd cash in. 

Sometimes, messages were more than just simple letters to family and friends. They were news. There were peace treaties. There were documents of rebellion, of retaliation, the hope still alive and kicking. There was war over land and blood stained notes and magic runes listed with curses to end lives.

Esme had no care who's blood was on her rupees at the end of the day. There were too many creatures and humans alike that depended on her for her to be a large target, and no one could truly remember her face. For once, Esme was glad for her plain, ambiguous face. She could gather information and dart through crowds without anyone knowing that the Messenger was even there. 

No one knew her name, hair or eye color,  gender, height, traits, or voice. The Messenger was the Messenger, and they didn't take sides. The most remarkable thing about her appearance was her dark robes, covering half her face with a large hood and hiding her figure. She also carried a wooden staff topped with a silver ball, which she usually hid inside her cloak.

And most recently, a fairy had attached itself to her side, refusing to shut up or to leave her alone.

"Esme," the fairy hissed, "this job is too weird. Surely other messengers could take this one!" 

"Masae," Esme whispered, not even sparing the green fairy a glance, "If you don't like it, leave me alone!" Instead of retreating under her robes like usual, Masae sat cross-legged on her shoulder, pouting. "It's not even that bad!" She insisted.

Masae didn't answer, so Esme took that as reluctant affirmation. 

Esme whipped out her staff, driving the tip into the ground. With an ear shattering sound, cracks split and spread out from the intrusion, causing everyone's attention to turn to her. Someone might have screamed. It was a blur. Who cares.

"I am the Messenger."

Gasps filled the streets, and Esme bit down a bored sigh. It's not like she was the only one, but nobody even knew that there was more than one.

"I bear news from the Capitol. They have news of your town. In a fortnight, they will send soldiers down from the mountains to assure that this area is clear. Which," she paused dramatically. "It's clear that this place is not. They will force you all to send supplies to their armies, leaving little to none for your children. Speaking of your children, they'll probably take some as slaves. Just letting you know."

Masae cleared her throat, letting Esme know that she had broke character. Whoops.

"Uh, yeah. And that's all. May Hyrule prosper and all that. "Bye!" She finished, the village started roaring in protest. 

One man, who had began to angrily pull at whatever hair he'd had left on his head, stomped right up to Esme. "We have done nothing wrong, ya hear! Take ya darn fancy robes and deliver another message for us- Fuck off!" The village resounded with cheers of support.

Raising a hand as if to rub spit off her face, Esme allowed the corner of her mouth to tilt up. "I'm sure that the moblins would love to hear that. Along with your other crimes to their empire, such as not paying your taxes, forging official documents, and using what is technically their land to grow crops that would technically belong to them, under no sort of permission or watch of any kind, and blatantly ignoring any sort of law under their claws. I'll be sure to deliver that message, free of charge, right to their door."

The man, who had gone increasingly pale during her retaliation, had sunk to his knees. The whole village was quiet, save for the sobs of a young child in his mother's arms, unknowing of the situation but still atune to his mother's emotions.

"...What can we do?"

"We? Don't lump me together with you. I'm just the Messenger."

A woman peeled herself from the crowd, her auburn hair in disarray. "You're a Messenger? How much for you to help us?" She lowered herself to the ground, bowing her head low enough to touch the floor. "Please, this village is my home. I can't let the moblins take it."

Almost like clockwork, the villagers all lowered their head and sunk to the floor. Underneath her hood, Esme flushed bright red, her conscience screaming at her. Masae snickered near her ear. "I don't need your bowing. I want rupees."

"...we have none," a woman whispered.

"None?" She scoffed, and the villagers scrambled closer to the floor.

"Then, I want favors."

"Anything!"

"Accept any outsider as your own. Any human, creature, or monster that requires your aid, you will heal and you will help. Is that acceptable?"

The man closest to her looked up, confused. "What?" 

"You heard me. And I will know if you don't follow my request."

"Anything!" The man replied. "We will help and shelter anyone!" Just please, promise that we will be under your protection."

Esme raised a hand, and purple light crawled down her arm and into her palm, smoking ominously around her fingertips and sparking the air. "An oath," Esme announced, "a magical promise so you and I will both know if either of us break it."

The man, who had obviously not seen magic a day in his life, openly gaped at her palm. She waved it impatiently in his face. "Well?"

He scrambled to his feet, dusting his hands off on his trousers, gripping her hand. Esme smiled wickedly under her hood. "It's a deal," she whispered, and magic sparked between them, magic pulsating off their bodies so much so that the villagers were forced back.  

Esme let go of his sweaty palm immediately. "I'll see you," she promised, disappearing with a flick of her fingers, leaving the people looking after her in awe.

.

Esme reappeared in a cave nearby, attempting to catch her breath.

Masae burst out of her robes, looking ecstatic. "I told you we'd be fine! No one even knew we were sent by the people to ensure a resting place!" Esme gave the tiny fairy the side eye, then decided that it wasn't worth it. Esme looked over her reward, one hundred rupees. Not bad for a job like that, which required people to look at her. Ugh. She'd take stealth and paper work over talking to people any day. 

"Later," she nodded in Masae's direction, we'll head down to the village and enhance our barriers so the moblins will continue to ignore the village. And then," Esme threw her head back, sighing, "We might have a proper meal!" Her stomach rumbled in agreement.

"How peculiar," came a voice from behind her. Esme jumped out of her skin, drawing her staff. 

"What the fuck!" She'd exclaimed, allowing the green fairy to hide behind her.

 

An old man stood in front of her, frame and posture important and imposing and intimidating. He was almost three times her size, hands folded behind his back, face partly hidden. All she could see of his face was a long, white beard and a round nose.

Esme pointed her staff at him, hoping he wouldn't see her arm shaking. "Back off,  or I will use this."

The man chuckled, putting his hands out in front of him almost apologetically. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just thought it was strange, seeing a Messenger with good intentions."

"What are you talking about," she hissed, face red hot. "I was going to sell those fools to the moblins for rupees."

"So contrary," he laughed gently. "Of course you were." The man replied, seemingly smiling like one smiled at a young child. "You don't have to pretend in front of me. I already see right through you."

Although Esme was lowering her staff, she raised it again quickly. "That a threat?" 

"No, no! I was looking for someone like you."

"Taking me for a fool?"

The old man took a step forward. "You didn't need to help the Hylians. They didn't pay as much as the moblins, did they? The villagers didn't need to know you were also on their side." 

Esme tightened her grip. "What?"

"You never have took a life. You don't take requests that are immoral." The man glanced over to her right, to where Masae was hiding. "You have a fairy," he insists gently. 

The old man steps closer, and Esme can't help but take a step back.

"I have a job for you."

"I'm not cheap," Esme hisses, ignoring her face trying to set itself on fire from embarrassment.

"I know that you're looking for the truth. You're looking for princess Zelda to find it." Esme growls despite herself.

"Quite the stalker, aren't you?"

"I didn't mean to pry. It's just that we have overlapping intentions. Find the princess, deliver my package, and I will give you the truth, Miss Sheikah."

Vision red hot with fury, Esme thrust a violent burst of fire at the man, who dodged it like nothing. "How the fuck do you know me," she demanded, furious.

"I know that you're looking for vengeance for your family. Your anger is not misplaced. I can give you all the answers you need, provided you trust me and deliver the package to princess Zelda." Esme scowled and prepared her next attack, when he pulled out a ring bearing a symbol she knew far too well. She bore the same one on her hip, except that it was missing a single tear on the ring.

"...you really do know everything?"

"I swear on the triforce that I do."

Esme put down her staff, letting it clatter to the floor. The fight and anger seemed to drain from her immediately. "What's the package?"

Instead of answering, the man pointed out of the cave. "Follow the sun as it rises. You will know immediately what you are looking for." Esme raised an eyebrow, but saw the set of his jaw and frowned.

"What about the princess?"

"Go into Deku forest. My sources know that she is there."

Esme picked up her staff, and made as if to leave, then thrust the staff under his nose. "When I complete this mission, you will tell me everything." She glanced at the silver ring, her heart dropping into her stomach. "And give me that ring, too."

"As long as you deliver the package to the princess."

The girl scowled and stomped out the door. "Masae, let's go." The fairy chanced a look back at the man, then fluttered out after Esme.

.

"Follow the sun, the crazy man says," Esme yelled, Masae covering her ears. "You'll know exactly what it is you're looking for! He says!" She kicked a rock off the grassy hill they were on, watching it tumble to the plains below. Esme pulled out her braids angrily

Masae gave her a once over. "I probably shouldn't be giving you this advice, since I am a fairy, but why not just find princess Zelda in the forest and extract information from her there?"

Esme mulled it over, then shook her head. "I already promised. Plus, he's got the ring. He'll be sure to have more information than the princess can. We don't even know if she knows anything." Masae seemed to smile down at her.

"Whatever you choose, I'm on your side!" Masae declared, puffing out her cheeks. Esme glanced at her, then patted her softly on the head.

"Thank you," she grumbled, embarrassed. Esme continued to climb the hill facing the sun, until they reached a cave cut into the side, its dark passage looming and ominous. Farther down, she could make out a large door.

The fairy shuddered. "Probably not it. Let's keep going, Esme." The girl didn't seem to hear, instead marching forward, as if in a trance. Esme looked up at the door. No handle. She reached a hand out as if to touch it, and the door lit up with a blaze of light.

Her family's crest lit the doorway, a shockingly bright blue, and the doorway rumbled and parted to reveal a young man standing there, looking just about as surprised as she felt.

He was taller than her, that's for sure. The boy had tall, pointed ears and a good posture. He was clothed in a blue that matched his wide, sharp eyes. The clothes that he wore looked sort of familiar... He had dark, honey blond hair, strong eyebrows, and sun kissed skin. The boy looked strong, body built like he had bore arms and magic all his life, but he seemed unarmed at the time. His face bore a surprisingly innocent shock that shouldn't belong on his expression.

Esme scrambled to pick her jaw up from the floor before he noticed her staring, then realized she wasn't wearing her hood and cursed her negligence. "...hi?" She then began to curse her inability to socialize like a normal person.

He just stared at her like he had never seen a person before in his life. Esme decided in a split second to never talk to attractive people ever again, then continued on past him, praying to every Goddess out there that they'd never meet again.

She continued down the path, and heard footstep follow her. Esme whipped around to see the young man standing there, looking like he had been just caught doing something naughty. Her face flamed. "You probably should get out of here. I'm a bad guy," she said, almost ominously, then turned back around down the path. He followed, but this time, right behind her like a trailing puppy.

Esme sighed, but didn't say anything. She'd lose him as soon as she was out of here. The room they had just entered had only a stone tablet in the middle of the room. The water inside of it seemed to glow blue, giving the walls an eerie feeling. Esme felt Masae shudder on her shoulder. "...There's nothing here," she decided. "You were right. This wasn't the place." 

But she was so sure. Her family crest was on the door... The girl turned and saw the man pointing to himself, looking almost shy about it. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then coughed violently. Esme watched as Masae tore herself from her hiding spot and darted over to the man, waving large amounts of fairy dust over his head. 

"Are you okay?" She screeched, voice as high as tinkling bells. The man waved her off with a smile, then blatantly stared. Masae seemed to take pride in having his attention. "I'm a fairy," she declared proudly. "My name is Masae! What's yours?" 

The man shook his head, and Masae visibly wilted, and then brightened again. "So you can't speak! That's okay! I can speak enough for all of us." The tiny fairy looked back at Esme, who frowned.

"My name isn't important," she grumbled. "Listen, we gotta go. There's a town to the west called Pitt town. They'll take in any travelers. You can rest and stay there."

He shook his head, grabbing her hand in both of his. Esme was about to shake his hands off, then noticed something peculiar about his hands.

A bright yellow mark, plain as day, glowing on his left hand. It had been years since she'd seen it, but she'd recognize it anywhere. Esme violently fought down her instincts- don't bow, don't fall to the floor in reverence like you have been taught- he hadn't even given an order but she still felt like she had to bare her neck in submission. Hot, frustrated tears began to well up in her eyes, and the man immediately let go, looking scared that he had caused them.

Masae switched sides immediately, looking scared. Esme scrubbed at her face almost violently, cursing her body's reaction. "It's not your fault. Don't worry."

Esme realized in an instant who that old man was, what the package is, who this boy standing in front of her was.

"That old man is really a fool if he trusts someone as important as you to someone like me..." Esme looked back up at the man, who looked sort of sad, like he had accidentally kicked a puppy or something.

"Masae," she murmured, not looking the fairy's way. "I think we've found our package." The young man looked even more confused, reaching out to her face. Esme flinched back, but the boy cupped her face with his other hand, and began wiping her tears with his thumb. The touch starved girl almost leaned into his touch, but stepped back after a moment, willing her tears to stop.

"...Do you even know who you are?" Esme asked, imploring.

A small sound came out of his throat, then he cleared it softly. It felt as if it took all of his strength to say anything. "...Link." He declared proudly, pointing at himself. Link looked so happy to even say only one word, wide eyed and looking for approval. Esme could hardly look at such a pure expression, and once again cursed her face for turning scarlet red. 

"Don't push yourself!" Masae said, floating around the both of them. "It's okay if you can't speak."

Link nodded at the fairy, then looked Esme dead in the eyes, shocking her. She held the stare, and then sighed, defeated. "I'm Esme. And I'm here to take you to your special one."

Link looked even more confused, but followed as the girls left the cave. Esme pulled her hood up, hiding her face. "We're going to Deku forest. The princess should be there. In the meantime, why don't we-" Esme was cut off by Link dashing past her, into the fields-

-and straight off the side of the cliff. Shock and horror crawled up her spine. Esme whipped out her staff and jumped right after him, preparing a spell to save them both until she saw his face. Link looked ecstatic, smiling and grinning like a madman even as he rolled to catch himself. She followed his example, and was about to call him out until he grabbed her my hand and smiled down at her, practically glowing happiness.

"Are you trying to cheer me up?" She asked, and he nodded, letting go of her hands to make some odd gestures with his arms that she tried to understand.

"...this is how you cheer yourself up, so you tried to do the same for me?" Link nodded, looking surprised that she understood.

Esme scowled. "I was worried about you!" She insisted, and tried to school her feature, but failed and began laughing, his strange smile infectious. Link looked proud of himself.

"As I was saying, we need to get food. Before you jump off of anymore cliffs for fun, let's get some." His stomach rumbled in agreement, and Link took off, Esme following reluctantly behind. 

She knew that she had little to no social skills, and that he didn't speak much, but Esme still tried to start a conversation with Link, her curiosity building.

"So..." She began, glancing up at Link, who seemed perfectly content to keep walking nowhere. "Why were you in that cave, Mr Hero?"

Link looked down at her blankly.

"Never mind," she decided, hoping that princess Zelda would appear out of nowhere so the mission would be over and she could jump off of a cliff.

"...I was hurt. They put me in there to heal." She filed away that information for later.

"Are you okay?" Esme asked, genuinely curious. Link didn't seem to have any injuries, from what she could see.

He stared down at her like he had when they had met in the cave. "You're not a bad guy, like you said."

That surprised a laugh out of her. "What makes you say that?"

Link pulled his lips into an attractive smirk, and Esme almost died on the spot. "You're worried about me."

She thanked any god that was out there that her face was partly hidden. "I'm worried about my package!" Esme insisted.

"Sure." Link decided to drop it, cocky grin still prominent. Esme wondered if this was worth it.

Esme was a nobody, and she was going to keep it that way. She'd be a Messenger her whole life, never to see the Triforce nor the royal family ever again. Esme would help her family, grow to be one of the village crazy ladies, and that would be it. Befriending, or even talking to the Hero of Legend was not a part of her plans.

So she kept her mouth shut. She'd be rid of him soon anyway.

Deliver the package.

Esme tied her hair up, then turned to Masae, not bothering to even glance at Link. "Let's go."

**Author's Note:**

> Cool cool


End file.
